The last time we heard anything about the future Japanese super car from Toyota’s luxury brand Lexus, it was that the automaker was dropping the much hyped LF-A nameplate from their 500 HP V10 powered speed machine to a much more prestigious Le Mans inspired LF-L to celebrate the new car’s scheduled appearance at the Circuit de la Sarthe next spring after it makes its international auto show debut in Tokyo this October.
What is so surprising about this particular preproduction version of the upcoming super car from Lexus is that aside from what appear to be a set of stickers doubling as headlight masks, the LF-L that was spotted lapping the Nürburgring was devoid of any camouflage whatsoever. For the first time we can see how clean the body lines of the road going version of the Japanese sports car will be without being cluttered up by bulky black plastic pieces.
Under the hood, the LF-L will use a 4.8L “1LR-GEU” V10 engine with a rear mounted transaxle that includes a sequential six-speed gearbox. The Lexus LF-L will be offered with ASG (Automated Sequential Gearbox) that will have four modes, Auto, Normal, Sport and Wet; the cog swapper will be capable of making shifts via Formula 1 style paddles in 0.2 seconds when in Sport mode. If the production version of the LF-L goes as good as this car looks, Lexus will have no problem moving all 500 examples.
Just when we thought the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 Superleggera has been reduced to nothing more than a fantasy car, an actual, real-life Superleggera may have been found taking in a couple of laps at the Nurburgring by our friends over at Autogespot
Actually, we might need to rub our eyes repeatedly to know that this is indeed a Superleggera. In the event that this is indeed a Superleggera, seeing it raises a number of questions surrounding the status of this car. Where’s it been all this time? And what do expect from Lamborghini with this car down the road especially since they already decided to scrap it just a year ago?
In any case, those questions can be answered at another time. What’s important is the car looks to be back on track – in more ways than one.
If you recall, the Gallardo Superleggera was introduced just a year before the LP560-4 made the scene with the former created with a tad more horsepower than the traditional Gallardo’s but weighed considerably less, making it faster and more lightweight than any of the Gallardos roaming around the streets.
We’ve just barely talked about the secrecy surrounding the Marrusia B2 heading into the Frankfurt Motor Show when the company apparently forgot to put their new supercar under wraps as it was moving around Moscow in a trailer truck.
In their defense, the company did explicitly instruct the drivers of the truck to speed ahead and not stop while the car was being moved, although we figure that covering up the two cars would have served their purpose of secrecy much, much better.
As a result, a pastry young civilian was able to take a photo of the two cars, much to our good fortune.
Ukraine is hardly one of the places people travel to in search of exotic cars. But that doesn’t mean that these rare beasts can’t be found there either.
Our friends from the Eastern European nation were kind enough to send us shots of an Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione out on the road. We know that only 500 of these cars have been made and our giddy Ukranian friends were humble enough to mention that one such model in their homeland is more than just one of the 500.
This particaluar car comes with a “Qudrifoglio” emblem, which means that the car comes with special edition tunings that only 20 other 8C Competizione’s can boast of. Short of saying, this particular car is a limited edition of a special edition.
These ultra-rare Alfa’s come with a completely different interior furnish, wheel disks that are said to be 40% lighter than those that come in the traditional models, and, last but not least, two unmistakable quadrifoliate clover badges in the car.
I guess we’re going to have to recant what we said. Super duper exotics do exist in Ukraine.
While we continue to ait word on whether or not Audi is unveiling the RS3 in Frankfurt, we do know that the folks from Ingolstadt will be bringing with them the new R8 Spider. That fact alone should make Audi fans salivate at the prospect of seeing the roof-less supercar in all its glory.
But since the Frankfurt Motor Show is still a week away, we believe that new spy shots of the car will do – for now. A number of new spy shots of the R8 Spider were revealed recently, giving everyone more reason to look forward to its official unveiling.
We know that spy shots are all well and good, but with the Frankfurt Motor Show less than a week away, we understand if a lot of you are already gnawing at the idea of seeing the R8 Spider in the flesh. We know we are.
We aren’t quite sure whether to call the individual that captured this fleet of Ferrari’s newest prancing horses in Maranello lucky or brave, but one thing is for sure, it takes some serious testicular fortitude to hang out camcorder in hand in front of Enzo’s factory. While posted on what must have been a weeklong stakeout this Italian automotive paparazzo was able to capture four preproduction Ferrari 458 Italias wearing the popular camera confusing white stripes to hide the new super car’s beautiful bodylines that most likely won’t be seen until September 15th when the new mid engine sports car is unveiled simultaneously at the Frankfurt Motor Show as well as back home in Maranello.
The latest incarnation of the mid-rear engined berlinetta is a completely new car from every point of view: engine, design, aerodynamics, handling, instrumentation and ergonomics and benefits hugely from the company’s Formula 1 experience. The new car is powered by a 4,499 cc V8 which is the first Ferrari direct injection engine to be mid-rear mounted and delivers a maximum of 562 HP at 9,000 RPM while generating a peak of 398 lb-ft of torque at 6,000 rpm, over 80% of which is available as low as 3,250 RPM.
The videographer was also able to catch both the sights and sounds of two striking red Ferrari California drop tops as well as one mysterious looking F-430. We call it mysterious because this particular example appears to be a bonafide test mule for the new car, wearing a set of Maseratti wheels and a pair of scoops molded to the rear of the deck lid, eerily similar to the new 458’s rear mounted radiator feeding air ducts. Whatever the case may be, it is just nice to be able to both see and hear these exotic Italian machines in action.
The crew from Car and Driver spotted the real live BMW Vision EfficientDynamics concept car in front of the BMW Welt Delivery Center in Munich just outside the German based car company’s headquarters a short while ago. Up until now we have only been privy to teasers, renderings and factory stills; but this photo gives the vehicle the sense of being a real car, and that is because it is.
The BMW Vision EfficientDynamics is a 2+2-seater plug-in hybrid model powered by a 1.5 Liter three cylinder turbo diesel engine that produces 163 HP and 214 lb-ft of torque that is combined with two electric motors mated to a DTC gearbox to produce a very efficient sports car. All three power generators work together to deliver a maximum output of 356 HP and a peak 590 lb-ft of torque while fuel consumption is reduced to a very impressive 75.1 MPG. That much economical power allows the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics to sprint from 0 to 60 MPH in just 4.8 seconds and reach top speed of 155 MPH.
The 2011 Porsche Boxster mule has been caught testing again at infamous Nurburgring’s Nordschleif circuit in Germany and this time the proof was caught on video. As you can see from the black Boxster, the 2011 car will feature refined front and rear fascias as well as a new taillight cluster as you can see by the subtle matte black covers and the constant on/off testing from the driver, honestly we can’t think of another reason why he would be pumping the brakes like that into the turns.
From the footage it looks like the engineers were testing out some new aspect of the Boxster’s suspension, an advanced form of PSM for the entry level German sports car. Porsche has not released any official information about the power train lineup for the next generation car, but rumors are suggesting that engines may be downsized by two cylinders. Aside from the reduction in power, the open air roadster should be lighter than its predecessor. We will just have to wait until Geneva, by then the new car should be in top form.
The next generation BMW 1 Series was recently spotted out and about on the Autobahn somewhere between Salzburg and Munich wearing the digital camera tricking camouflage that keeps unwanted onlookers from examining every detail of the new design. The car is known as the F20 prototype and is rumored to feature some of the more revolutionary design elements and the latest technologies that the German automaker is offering in their luxury vehicles today.
From what we have gathered, the next generation 1 Series will be powered by a range of three and four cylinder turbocharged engines as well as a 300 HP inline six cylinder engine for the top of the line model. In naturally aspirated form the 1.3 Liter engine makes 136 HP and 177 HP with the help of a turbo. The 120i should get a 2.0 Liter turbocharged four banger making 218 HP, while the 135i will continue to use the 3.0 Liter twin turbocharged straight six. You can expect to see a few alternatively fueled diesel and hybrid variants in the future, most likely in the form of the three cylinder hybrid found in the BMWVision EfficientDynamics Concept. There is even talk about a 135i SuperSport, this factory tuned 1 Series would fill in for an M variant and could make use of lightweight materials like a carbon fiber in the roof or even the hood. Along with the upgrade in power, the SuperSport will also get a high performance suspension and stranger brakes to give the car the feel of an M car without the emblem.
They Hyundai Genesis sedan stole the show last year taking home many automotive journal’s car of the year awards for its ability to blend attractive styling and high end luxury in a resonably priced package. With the scheduled arival of the Equus, Hyundai will now hava a slew of upsclae offerings for new car buyers. Despite the warm reception that the Genesis received last year, a new car only has the ability to make one first impression, so you can expect to see the classic curvilinear shape and signature waterfall grill going through a few restlings as the Genesis ages in order to keep the design fresh and at the forefront of consumer’s consiousness.
This next generation of Hyundai’s flagship sedan was spotted in the deserts of the mid west, most likely undergoing extensive cooling system analysis along with the new Equus. The Genesis is hiding both its nose and rear quarters draped with the traditional black automotive camoflage that makes most spy photographers either jump for joy at the sight of a new car or swear in frustration at not being able to capture what lies beneath. In this case it looks to be a pair of restyled fenders and maybe even a redesigned set of headlights judging by the careful placement of the disguise. However the most interesting feature of this clothed beauty is the black flap in the middle of the grill.
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